The Montana State University Billings volleyball team saw its early momentum evaporate in Bellingham, Washington on Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 to Western Washington University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match at Sam Carver Gym.
Yellowjackets Seize Opening Set Before Vikings Counter
MSUB seized control right out of the gate, dominating the opening frame 25-15 behind stifling defensive play and clean attacks. Yet the response from Western Washington was swift and sustained. The Vikings swept the next three sets 25-17, 25-15, and 25-15 to drop the Yellowjackets to 5-21 overall and 1-15 in conference play.
Statistical Margins Favor Hosts Across Four Sets
Statistical margins ultimately favored the hosts over four hard-fought sets. Western Washington tallied 51 kills while hitting .178 for the match, holding edges in total digs at 74 to 59 and total blocks at 20 to 17. The Yellowjackets finished with 28 kills on 134 attacks, hitting .045 while recording 10 service aces.
Izzy Ping and Addyson Quandt Lead Yellowjackets Offense
Individual performances highlighted bright spots for the Yellowjackets despite the outcome. Izzy Ping paced the MSUB offense with seven kills, while Addyson Quandt put together a flawless efficiency performance by hammering six kills on 12 attacks without an error, good for a team-best .500 hitting percentage. Allie Dorman contributed five kills and Mikayla Champlin added four.
At the net, Laina Whitney anchored the defensive effort with a team-high six block assists, supplementing her front-row presence with two solo blocks and three service aces. Quandt matched that defensive intensity at the net with two solo blocks and two block assists. Back-row defense kept rallies alive as Adrienne Magdaleno collected a career-high 20 digs, Emma Fairbairn chipped in 13, and Aaliyah Gaylord posted a stat line of 10 assists, 11 digs, and two aces alongside Avery Starr’s nine assists and three aces.
Middle Frames Prove Decisive as Offense Falter
The match turned decisively in the middle frames as offensive execution faltered for the visitors. After limiting Western Washington’s attack and commanding the first set, MSUB managed only four kills against six errors in the third frame for a -.080 hitting percentage. That offensive slump allowed the Vikings to pull ahead 2-1. A similar struggle in the fourth set—six kills and nine errors for a -.063 clip—allowed Western Washington to close out the match.
Looking Ahead to the Final Regular Season Homestand
The Yellowjackets return home to Alterowitz Gym for their final two matches of the regular season. They host the University of Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, November 12, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m., followed by a Senior Day matchup against Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, November 14, at 1 p.m.
Great blocking tonight from our team,
head coach Scott Keister said after the match. We have been putting a lot of work into it so it’s great to see improvement. It was also great to see their response from a bad Thursday outing.
